Lincoln's Ghost Train
Every April, a phantom funeral train carrying Abraham Lincoln's body retraces its journey from Washington to Illinois. Clocks stop as it passes. No one aboard has aged.
After President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, his body was transported by train from Washington D.C. to Springfield, Illinois. According to legend, a ghostly version of this funeral train appears every April, retracing the journey.
The Historical Journey
According to historical records:
The actual funeral train:
- Left Washington on April 21, 1865
- Traveled 1,654 miles through seven states
- Stopped at major cities for public viewing
- Arrived in Springfield on May 3-4, 1865
- Millions of Americans lined the route
The Legend
The ghost train legend emerged within years of Lincoln’s death:
- A spectral train appears along the route each April
- It’s draped in black bunting
- Ghostly soldiers stand guard
- Lincoln’s coffin is visible
- A band of skeleton musicians plays
- Clocks stop as it passes
- Normal trains halt to let it pass
Witness Accounts
Reported phenomena include:
- Hearing a train where no tracks exist
- Seeing a black-draped train pass
- Feeling an unusual cold
- Animals reacting with fear
- Watches and clocks stopping
- Silence falling over the area
The Route
The phantom train allegedly appears along the original route:
- New York state sections
- Through Albany (where the original train stopped)
- Into the Midwest
- Ending in Springfield, Illinois
Some of the original tracks no longer exist, yet the train is still reported.
Similar Legends
Phantom trains appear in folklore worldwide:
- The St. Louis Ghost Train (Saskatchewan, Canada)
- The Silverpilen (Stockholm, Sweden)
- Various haunted railroad legends across the American West
Cultural Context
The Lincoln ghost train reflects:
- The national trauma of his assassination
- The power of the funeral journey as a shared experience
- Railroad culture of the 19th century
- How legends grow from historical events
Symbolic Interpretation
Some view the legend as:
- Collective mourning made manifest
- A symbol of Lincoln’s continuing importance
- The nation’s unresolved Civil War trauma
- American mythology building
Modern Accounts
Sightings continue to be reported:
- Workers along remaining original rail lines
- Residents near the historical route
- Usually in April around the assassination anniversary
- Often dismissed as normal trains misidentified
The Original Train
The actual funeral train was:
- Nine cars long
- Heavily decorated with black bunting
- Guarded by soldiers
- Accompanied by another train carrying mourners
- The engine was named “Nashville”
Lincoln’s body was displayed at multiple stops along the way.